New Website Showcases State’s Organic Farms and Businesses
The Northeast
Organic Farming Association/Massachusetts Chapter, Inc.has a
new, online tool to help consumers find certified organic and sustainable farms
and products across the state. The new, searchable NOFA/Mass Organic Food Guide
is available at http://theorganicfoodguide.com
The NOFA/Mass Organic Food Guide is the only statewide directory specifically listing organic farms and businesses. New listings are added continuously, and currently there are more than 100 farms listed—nearly double the number of farms listed in the 2009 Organic Food Guide.
“Our goal is to have the new website be the place people go when looking for any kind of organic product or service in Massachusetts,” said Michal Lumsden, the NOFA/Mass Organic Food Guide Coordinator.
The new site is searchable by geographical region, by types of products and by ways to purchase products from farms. For example, you can find farms that offer pick-your-own fruit; community supported agriculture (CSA) programs; or farms that sell wholesale to stores and restaurants. These search options make the Organic Food Guide an extremely valuable resource for consumers, while also proving a valuable advertising tool for farmers and business owners.
Farms that are listed range from small homesteads that sell limited quantities of vegetables and goat milk, for instance, to large diversified farms with hundreds of CSA members. Consumers will be able to find nearly every farm product imaginable, including organically raised fruits, vegetables, maple syrup, meat, eggs, cheese, raw and pasteurized milk, and grains. Farmers interested in listing their operation in the NOFA/Mass Organic Food Guide should email Michal Lumsden at foodguide@nofamass.org.
To find
specific farms that are listed on the site, visit http://theorganicfoodguide.com
For information about the 2010 NOFA Summer Conference, August 13-15, at UMass Amherst visit www.nofasummerconference.org
Carol Stocker has been writing about gardening for the Boston Globe for 30 years. She has won the top newspaper writing award of the Garden Writer's Association of American three times. Her newest book is "The Boston Globe Illustrated New England Gardening Almanac."
